One of the many birds returning to Maine for the breeding season is the Brown-headed Cowbird. The male is a striking bird with a brown head on a sleek black body. The female is a drab gray. Cowbirds feed on items as varied as insects (especially grasshoppers), seeds and grass.

Each May, predictable mayfly hatches explode across Maine’s bottom third, and in the sub-imago stage, the bugs float on the surface and bring salmonids topside, extremely visible rises that excite fly rodders.

I know it sounds a little odd for someone my age to suggest that something can make him feel “giddy,” but I feel blessed that it’s a sensation I often feel and genuinely enjoy.

In case you missed it, Gov. Peter Shumlin of Vermont admitted last week he was a little tardy in putting his bird feeders away. When he finally got around to it, four bears were actively snacking on his feeders.

Matching the hatch with the right fly to catch trout and salmon sometimes involves considerations beyond picking an artificial that looks like the natural in size, color and silhouette.